Electric heater for steering-wheels



E. J. ROHNE.

ELECTRIC HEATER FOR STEERING WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 7, 1917.

1,345,249. Patented June 2 920.

.2 SHEETS-S 1.

E. J. ROHNE.

ELECTRIC HEATER FOR STEERING WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-7,1917 Patented June 29, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

a which it appertains to make and use the the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 on anenlarged scale;

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EVEN il'. ROHNE, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

ELECTRIC HEATER FOR STEERING-WHEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1920.

Application filed September 7, 1917. Serial No. 190,264.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVEN J. RoHNE, a

same.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simply andhighly efficient electric heater, or Warming device, for the steeringwheel, or other hand piece of a steering device for automobiles;'and, tothe above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the noveldevices and combina-. tions of devices hereinafter described and definedin the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views. v i

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the improved electric heater applied tothe steering wheel of an automobile;

Fig. 2, is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is adetail view in section taken on Fig. 4, is a diagrammaticView showing the wires and heating element of the electric heater.

Fig. 5, isa view principally in transverse section showing the electricheater removed freim the steering wheel and spread out flat; an

Fig. 6 is a detail view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The'numeral 7 indicates the rim, and the numeral 8 indicates the. hubandarms of a steering wheel, such as are generally used in connectionwith automobiles. It may .be

- here stated that the term automobile is herein used in a broad senseto include any.

. wire bent back and forth upon itself to form long substantiallyparallel loops, and two insulating cover plates 11 for said heatingelement. The casing 9 may be made from tion.

leather, cloth, pantasote or other suitable. flexible material that, asshown, is folded upon itself and stitched at its edges to form saidcasing. Secured in each longitudinal edge portion of the casing 9 isa'row of eyelets 12. The cover plates 11, for the heating element 10,may be made from a single piece of canton flannel or other suitablefabric folded upon itself and placed in the casing 9 to insulate theheating element 10 therefrom. These cover plates 11 are stitched toconnect the same between the members of each loop of the heating elementto separate and thereby insulate said members from each other and holdthe same properly spaced. I

As shown, there are two of the improved electric heaters applied to therim 7 of the steering wheel by folding the same therearound and atdiametrically opposite points and securing said heaters'thereto by laces13. These laces 13 are run through certain of the eyelets 12 and passed,as shown, around the casing 9, and hence the rim 7 with their ends tiedtogether. By passing the laces 13 around the casings 9, better grips orhand-holdsare provided for the operator, as they prevent his hands fromslipping. As the electric heaters are flexible in all directions theywill when laced onto the rim 7 closely fit the same. Toone of thelongitudinal ed es of the casing 9 is secured a flap 14, w ich, when theelectric heater is secured to the rim 7, extends under the otherlongitudinal edge thereof and closes the gap between said two edges.Conducting wlres 15 connect the terminals of the heating element 10 witha battery 16 or other source of electrical energy which in automobileservice may be a generator, magneto or battery, according to the'typethereof.

From the above description, it is evident that by passing the laces 13around the casin s said laces not only afi'ord better hand ho ds, butsecure the heaters on the rim in a manner thatprevents the same frommoving and thereby causing wear due to fric- It is also evident that thelaces 13 protect thecasings 9 from wear under the grip of the operator.

The above described electric heater is of comparatively small cost tomanufacture, with no metal parts to come in contact with the heatingelement and thereby form a short circuit. Said heater may be easilyapplied to or removed from a steering wheel rim, or the like, andfurthermore it is highly eflicient for the purpose had in View.

What I claim is: l

A heating pad for steering devices comprising a flexible heatingelement, a pair of flexible insulating cover plates between which theheating element is placed, a flexible casing for the insulating plates,the longitudinal edge portions of which are extended outward ofthe-insulating plates, eyelets connecting both the inner and outerlongitudinally extended edge portions of the casing, and a lace adaptedto be inserted through the eyelets for connecting the lon- 15 gitudinaledges of the casing. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

EVE-N J. ROHNE. Witnesses:

EVA E. THOMPSON, HARRY D. KILGoRE.

